What Lagos and Kano Can Learn from Calabar
November 30th, 2007 | Published in Environment, Governance, Health, Nigeria | 7 Comments
A section of the TINAPA complex
It’s interesting how some states have suddenly discovered the need to create “mega’ or “economic†cities all of a sudden.
Check one: Lagos. Where the governor has been all over pitch-selling his idea for a “Lagos Mega City” - a project expected to gulp several billion dollars and likely to not materialize for many decades given the way of doing things in that part of the world.
Check two: Kano. The state is proposing a “Kano Economic City†– smaller and less grandiose in concept and scope, but still expected to gulp some $2 billion of private funds.
Lagos and Kano are the two largest states in Nigeria and have very thriving metropolises. They also have one other trait in common – huge challenges keep their cities clean.
While Lagos has achieved a relative success - albeit low - rate of “garbage-fightingâ€, Kano appears clueless and does not have any viable plan of keeping the city clean.
“Our people have no culture of refuse disposal,†Hassam Musa Kari, the managing director of Kano’s Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB), the agency responsible for cleaning the city”, according to IRIN article. Excerpts:
He attributed the problem to illiteracy. “People don’t seem to know or care about the dangers refuse poses to life and the environment (photo left),” Kari told IRIN.
But residents more often blame REMASAB and the environment ministry. “The authorities have not provided us with adequate [dump] sites,” Salisu Ahmad, a resident, told IRIN.
Check three: Calabar. The capital city of Cross Rivers is an epitome of sanitized beauty. Yes, it’s a clean city by any standard and way ahead of the other two. Though smaller in size, the city also has fewer resources (particularly cash), and has somehow found ways to maintain the aesthetics of the city.
While neighbouring states in the Niger Delta are “far dirtier [and] have bloated budgets from state oil revenue†the budget in Calabar’s Cross River state government is relatively small”, according to IRIN report. Excerpts :
It allocates 12 million naira [US $102,209] a year for sanitation in Calabar, Edim said, which includes programs to plant trees and grass in the city and raising awareness on the environment with ‘Keep Calabar beautiful’ signs everywhere in the city…
But somehow the system works. Not only does the city look cleaner than most others in Nigeria, but it is also more hygienic. While cholera is common in nearby cities, Edim said it has not occurred in Calabar for years. Other water-borne diseases are also comparatively rare.
Note also that the Cross Rivers is the first in Nigeria to initiate and complete (to a reasonable extent) a “trade/entertainment/tourist cityâ€- TINAPA, the drawing board-to-commission time (of the first phase of the complex) took about eight (8) years – a great accomplishment given the way “things are done†in that part of the world. Check out some great pictures of complex: http://www.showafrika.com/tinapa_commisioned.html
What Kano is proposing is similar to TINAPA it appears, maybe smaller. And certainly what Lagos wants is a multiple of TINAPAs.
I ask:
How can Lagos and Kano - states that grapple with basis sanitary tasks (i.e. garbage collection and disposal, unclogging blocked gutters, e.t.c.) and have yet to master the maintenance of city aesthetics and infrastructure - wrap its minds around and successfully execute a multifactedly sophisticated TINAPA-like project?
Well, while the Lagos governor seems to understand he needs to keep “doing the talk” with his audience (policy makers and investors) by saying “the priority areas of the Lagos Mega City are security, sanitation and transportation”, it will be delightful to see this talk translate to action. However, his Kano counterpart up north appears mute, and somewhat undisturbed by the pyramids of stinking garbage growing his backyard. May be he too should first raise some cash to keep his streets free of rubbish!
December 1st, 2007 at 7:35 am (#)
Its a pity that many Nigerian states are not looking into the new technology that converts waste into energy and rids towns and villages of dumps etc. Also I am happy that Hassim Musa has identified illiteracy as one of the problems on the attitude of the people to refuse and dirty environment. So when do they start the business of educating these people? When do the governments start actioning their lofty talks about sanitization and so on? The problem with many governors is that they think big, plan big, stay big in waiting and at the end dont make anything big. So why dont start with smaller plans that can be successfully implemented. At least little drops of water makes the mighty ocean.
December 1st, 2007 at 7:37 am (#)
TO CALABAR, AGAIN I SAY WELL DONE AND KEEP IT UP. MAY OTHER STATES LEARN FROM YOU FOR THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS TO EMULATE IN NIGERIA IF MIND IS PAID TO IT.
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:46 am (#)
The Lagos eyesore from the Airport in Ikeja to Victoria Island is simply too bad to comment. How does one help educate these people? When will they get tired of chasing pie in the sky? The Lagos mega city project does sound like an ego trip by its proponents.
December 2nd, 2007 at 5:34 pm (#)
Well according to the most recent comment by the Governor of Lagos state, Lagos Mega City project is now a Lagos uplift and upgrade project and its called Mega, because Lagos is listed as one of the named “Mega City”, so no fairy tales or fancies of skyscrappers, Million Dollar malls, mansions and what have you. This was not the impression created at first. My consolation is that people’s comments are sort of being considered even if indirectly.
Educating the people could include posters, campaigns, public lectures, television adverts and so on. It worked during the WAI “War Against Indicipline” days (i think).
Beauty, yes the Lagos eyesore is really terrible. I feel so ashamed when I drive round Ikeja, Allen Avenue, Maryland, Palmgrove, Surulere, Yaba, all the way to Ikoyi. Buildings are so delapidated, dirty and faded, touts and beggars on the streets, dumps of waste here and there, unmentionable stinking gutters, illegal structures, hawkers, buka and sheds everywhere (I can go on). Not unusual to see dead/decomposing bodies, vehicles so dangerous and rusty, bellowing smoke like volcanos, noise pollution from churches, mosques and traders, all fighting for supremacy. But then all these could still be tackled and put right if mind is paid to it. Wish the Governor could sell cheap paints to all householders to brighten up the doom and gloom feel for starters. But then I understand that while people cant afford one full meal a day, painting their homes is a tall order.
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:24 pm (#)
How about Oshodi market? Be on the lookout for a piece on this at AfricanLoft.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:20 am (#)
Oh Imnakoya, I try to avoid the Agege, Orile, Oshodi and Mushin routes at all times, for if I dont, “Ile Baba Omo ma ba Omo leru” (a child’s father’s house will be a scary place to the child).This is why I have not even dared to mention that side of Lagos. Too depressing to even type on keyboards. I sure will be on the lookout for the Oshodi piece of AfricanLoft.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:55 am (#)
A very interesting piece on the problem of waste. In the proposed economic megacities, what are the plans for new arrivals from the country and the destitute sections of the working class, who more often than not live in appalling conditions. Are there plans for public housing?